Jotjrjsral-box eok railroad-cars



PATENTED JULY 31, 1860 J. ASHENFELDER. JOURNAL BOX FOR RAILROAD CARS.

Jrwcata; wwaz UNITED STATES PATENT onrron.

JOSIAH ,t\SI'IENFEIUDER; OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYIAANIA.

JOURNAL-BOX FOR RAILROAD-CARS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 29,349, dated July 31, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSIAH ASI-IENFELDER, of the city and county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Journal-Boxes for Railroad-Cars; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawing and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

The object of this invention is to reduce the quantity of lubricating material to be employed and more effectually present it to the axle; to make the back adjust itself to the wear of the journal and bearing and ac commodate itself to the vertical jars of the axle, and facilitate the removal of the parts for inspection, cleaning, and renewal.

In order to enable others to make and use my invention, I will now proceed to describe its construction and operation.

On reference to the accompanying drawing which forms partof this specification, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section through the center of the box. Fig. 2 is the same section with the cap removed and the bot tom drawn out. Fig. 3 is a front view of the box. Fig. 4 is a section through the line 12 Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 6 is a sectional plan of the box through the line 34, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

A is the body of the box, having lips cast upon each side to guide it in any suitable pedestal.

B is a loose back working freely in the recesses a, a cut in the sides of the box, A and having an opening, Z) through which the axle, C passes.

D is a bearing made to fit the projection, c, of the box, A and resting upon the journal of the axle, C.

E is a loose bottom made to slide between the projections, (Z, (l and e, 6, upon the inside of the box, A, one end bearing against the inside of the back, B, and the other flush with the front end of the box, A.

F is a cap fitting against the end of the box, A and bottom, E, with an intervening packin piece, and secured to the projections, 7, f of the box, A by the bolts, 9, g.

A circular recess, h is formed in the flange,

z' of the box, A and the back end of the bottom, E for receiving the leather collar, G which surrounds the axle, G and prevents the escape of the lubricating material and entrance of any dust or dirt. The bottom, E is formed so as to dispense with the useless space required to be filled with lubricating material and common to other journal boxes, being made to incline from each side of the box, A, from about the center line of the axle, O, running under the same and leaving a space of about half an inch bet-ween the two. The shape of this bottom is also advantageous to the proper application of the lubricating material. I employ and prefer a mixture of tallow and plumbago, pressing it against and thoroughly supplying the axle.

It is necessary that the back of the box should neat-1y fit the axle in order to prevent the entrance of any dust or dirt into the box, and at the same time be able to adjust itself to the wear of the journal and bearing and accommodate itself to the vertical jars of the axle; with a fixed back it is impossible to consolidate the two, but with my improvement, however, the back fits the axle, and is free to move upward or downward and adjust itself to the wear and jars.

In the event of the bearing, D wearing out the old one can be removed and a new one inserted by taking off the cap, F, sliding out the bottom, E, and elevating the body of the car about half an inch, the back, B sliding in the grooves, a, a, at the same time, if necessary, the washer, G can be removed and replaced by another.

I do not claim constructing a journal box with a loose bottom, nor the employment of a loose collar to prevent the escape of the lubricating material or the entrance of dust or dirt, but

I do claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. Making the bottom of a journal box, whether fixed, movable, or supplementary, to incline downward from the sides and under the axle, for the purpose of reducing the quantity of lubricating material to be employed and more effectually presenting it to the axle.

2. The box, A in combination with the adjustable back, B, bearing, D, loose bottom,

E, cap, F, and c0llar,'G, substantially as described and for the purpose of an easy 5 removal of the parts for inspection, cleaning,

and renewal.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscrlbing w1tnesses.

JOSIAH ASHENFELDER.

Witnesses:

WILLIAMS OGLE, HORACE SEE. 

